Chet Has a Girlfriend
by Colleen17
Summary: Relationships and friendships are tested when deceit prowls in the background.
1. Chapter 1

Johnny sat in the day room and listened to Chet's continuous chatter about his new girlfriend. According to him she was blonde, blue eyed and gorgeous. Perfect in every way, so perfect that Johnny wondered if she was a figment of his imagination.

"I'm telling you Roy...I've never tasted food like it...it was the best meal I have ever had...and desert, don't even get me started on desert."

"Good we won't," Johnny mumbled.

"What was that Gage...the green eyed monster making an appearance," Chet teased.

Johnny ignored Chet and tried to concentrate on the sports section of the paper. Roy was snickering at his partner. Johnny noticed "What?"

"Nothing!" he said still smirking.

"Well it must be something that's got you grinning like that," Johnny said shrugging his shoulders at his partner.

"I'll tell you what it is Gage...Roy here can see the jealously...For once it's not you ranting on about your latest."

"I don't rant about my lat...I mean dates," Johnny interrupted.

"Come on...you are kidding...its all you do after a date," Roy said with a touch of meanness in his statement Johnny thought. _Is that what they think?_ He wondered.

"I'm going to check supplies and do the morning checks," Johnny said wounded, Roy had hurt his feelings. He hadn't realised that his best friend was not interested in what he did in his free time. After all, he had no one else to talk to about his dates.

"That's it Gage...can't take it when someone else has a beautiful girlfriend," Chet teased as Johnny left the day room.

The fact was Johnny was happy for Chet, if the 'Girlfriend' was real, but it was Roy's remark and the way he said it that had upset him. He decided to forget about it and get on with his work. Johnny finished up before roll call, so he decided to polish his boots till they were called. It had become a habit of his; whenever he was upset or had something to work out he would polish his boots. The mindless activity allowed him to think or just daydream.

He sat on the bench in front of his locker, Chet's voice floated out of the day room through the bay area into the locker room. He couldn't make out the words but the excitement in the voice told Johnny he was still talking about his girlfriend.

"Jealous!" Johnny said softly and laughed. The fact was that Johnny did have a girlfriend but she was a shy, sweet, plain looking girl.

It was different with her in comparison to his other dates; she didn't need expensive dinners to enjoy Johnny's company. He hadn't told Roy about her because she was nothing like his other dates, and he wasn't sure how his friends would react to her. On her face was a red birthmark and she was very self conscious of it. Johnny didn't care; he loved her smile and her sweet nature. He knew he wouldn't be able to say anything now or in the near future with Chet raving about his gorgeous girlfriend.

They lined up for Roll Call and were handed out their assignments. Johnny left to do his assigned task. Chet smirked at his back and said loud enough for him to hear "Yep jealous."

Johnny ignored the remark not wanting to get into an argument and say something he would regret out of anger. He walked away and visualised the sweet smile of Ellen in his mind.

The squad was called out for most of the morning, the most serious run being an elderly lady slipping and breaking her hip. Johnny accompanied her to the hospital and had her relaxed and happy by the time she arrived.

"You should start dating elderly ladies...you get on better with them," Roy told his partner. Johnny could see that Roy was joking but again heard the meanness in his comment. He ignored him and gave the nurse the supply list. Roy didn't notice that he had upset his partner with his remark. It didn't occur to him that he had been making only negative comments to his partner all morning. Roy lacked sensitivity when it came to his partner because Johnny rarely took offense.

When the squad got back for lunch Johnny found himself being targeted by not only Chet but Roy and Marco. His silence fuelled their taunting so he decided to make just the one comment before leaving the room. "I'm really pleased you have a girlfriend Chet...it's great. Cap I'm going to finish up the Dorm" and he left without having eaten most of his lunch.

"Yep...He's jealous!" announced Chet in a loud voice.

"Sure is," added Roy and then everyone laughed.

Johnny ignored them and again wondered if he had brought this on himself with the way he had raved about going out with the prettiest nurse. He had been questioning his character a lot since he had started going out with Ellen and wondered if it was her sweet honest nature that was making him question himself. '_They're just teasing' _he thought and knew he was being over sensitive. He would let Chet have his fun; after all, he really was happy for his friend.

Apart from a house fire the rest of the shift was relatively quiet. Roy had noticed that his partner was very quiet and thought maybe the teasing had gone a bit too far. He didn't say anything to his partner because it hadn't affected their working relationship. Roy didn't like to talk about emotional things with other men; it was fine talking with his wife but not his partner.

When they were getting ready to leave Chet had one more dig at Johnny. "What are you doing on your days off John?" he asked.

Innocently Johnny answered "Oh I'm going on a picnic with a few friends and the same old stuff, laundry, shopping and cleaning."

Chet scoffed "Boring John, besides who goes on picnics these days?"

"Lots of people do!" Johnny answered indignantly, he loved picnics.

"Yeah if you're about a hundred years old with lots of kids running around," Chet claimed.

"Hey, I take offense to that remark!" Roy injected.

"Sorry Roy, no offense man, but you have kids so that's ok," Chet said apologetically. He turned to aim a barb at Johnny but he was gone. "Where did he go?" Chet asked surprised that Johnny had left without even saying goodbye.

When they made their way out to the parking lot, Johnny's Rover was gone. "Can't take what he gives out," Chet said to Roy. Roy chuckled but had a funny feeling in his gut. Thinking back Johnny didn't stir his friends about having pretty dates, he just talked about it. He thought maybe Chet had taken things a little too far and hoped that by next shift things would have settled down.

On his days off Roy asked Joanne if it would be alright to have a barbeque on their next Saturday off. He thought it would be nice to get together with his shift friends and everyone could meet Chet's girlfriend.

If everyone knew what she looked like then they wouldn't have to listen to him rave about her during shift and hopefully things would get back to normal. He called everyone to invite them. Johnny was the only one he couldn't contact but wasn't too worried thinking he wouldn't have any plans so wouldn't mind the short notice next shift.

Johnny was getting into his uniform when Roy walked into the locker room. "I tried to reach you on our days off...I wanted to invite you to a barbeque on Saturday," said Roy.

"Tomorrow you mean?" asked Johnny.

"Yeah, I didn't think the short notice would matter...the rest of the guys are coming," he told his partner. "Chet's even bringing his girlfriend," Roy added.

"I'm sorry Roy, I have other plans...maybe next time," he said matter-of-factly. Johnny left the locker room not noticing the frown on his partner's face. Johnny never misses a get together he thought. Roy wondered if his partner was jealous of Chet and his girlfriend and that that was the reason for declining the invite. He decided not to say anything to the others wanting to keep the peace around the station.

Cap was the first to notice that Johnny was quiet and that the atmosphere was strained between the paramedics. "Everything alright?...Anything I should know about?" he asked his paramedics.

Johnny looked up surprised at his Cap's questions "No Cap...Why?" he asked looking perplexed. Roy just looked at his partner as if he had grown two horns. It was clear to the Cap that Roy had a problem.

"Roy? Anything you want to tell me Pal?" he asked.

Johnny looked at Roy having not realised that he was frowning. He too wanted to know what was wrong so he sat up straighter and looked at his partner expectantly.

"Did I tell you that Johnny wasn't coming tomorrow?" Roy asked his Cap hinting to his partner that they did have a problem.

"I told you Roy I have plans...He only asked me this morning," he told his Cap.

"Well I guess that is pretty late notice. There'll be other barbeques," Cap stated. Chet chose that time to walk in.

"He's not coming because he can't stand being shown up," Chet stated "Because you're jealous John...Admit it!" he taunted.

"I'm not jealous Chet...I have other plans," Johnny told him sounding exasperated.

Roy rolled his eyes at the growing argument but was surprised when Johnny stood and said "Look Chet if I get a chance I'll call in just to see your girlfriend but other than that I can't make any other promises. I have a da...I mean I have other plans and I'm already committed to them. It has nothing to do with you bringing a girlfriend."

"Not just any girlfriend John," Chet interrupted.

"Yeah well I'll make that judgement myself when I see her," and with that statement Johnny left no longer wanting to be a part of the conversation. Roy was frowning, he was sure Johnny was about to say a date but changed it to other plans. If it was just a date he was annoyed that he wouldn't bring his date to the barbeque or was it that he didn't want to be shown up. Maybe his partner was jealous after all he thought.

Johnny was annoyed with himself, he had nearly blurted out that he had a date and he had been so careful the last few weeks not to let on that he was dating. "Don't listen to Chet John...Just trust your judgement with Ellen".

Johnny looked over at the engine and smiled at his friend "Thanks Mike!" he sighed. He knew they would all like Ellen but people were cruel and found it hard to look past her birthmark. "I would really love to bring her but this barbeque isn't the right time to introduce her into the fold," Johnny told his friend.

"You're right Johnny. It's not the right time...maybe next time...say Hello to her from me and Barb," Mike said as he patted Johnny's shoulder and walked into the day room.

Johnny sighed and placed his elbows on his knees and rested his chin in his hands. He decided he would try to call in and at least satisfy Chet by letting him introduce him to his girlfriend and then hopefully all the teasing and accusations of jealousy would stop.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day Johnny found himself reluctantly entering the backyard of his partner's home. It was the last place he wanted to be but knew that he had to make an appearance. Ellen was waiting in the Rover up the road, grateful that Johnny hadn't accepted the invite. She was not ready to meet his friends and Johnny had assured her that he didn't mind; her happiness was all that mattered to him. They both didn't know that they were falling in love.

The first person Johnny saw was Roy and he smiled at his partner who was wearing an apron and had tongs in one hand. "So you made it after all" Roy said to his partner. Johnny noticed the slight irritation in his statement.

"It's just a quick hello then goodbye...I'm on my way somewhere so I'll have to make it quick," he told Roy. Cap shook Johnny's hand and Johnny kissed his wife on the cheek to say hello. Roy's kids gave him a hug and returned to playing with Marco and one of his young cousins. Johnny just waved to Marco and then looked for Chet and Mike.

Mike was standing on the deck with his wife Barb. Johnny climbed up to the deck and said hello to the couple. "Ellen's outside waiting in the Rover if you want to say hello," he told them.

"Oh yes!" Barb exclaimed and quickly grabbed her husband's hand and made their way out to the front of the house. Johnny then turned around and looked for the reason why he was here. Standing in the corner of the yard watching the kids playing with Marco was Chet and, the only words to describe it was, his glamorous girlfriend. If anything Johnny thought she was overdressed for a barbeque but thought maybe she was trying to make a good impression for Chet's friends. He walked over to greet them.

"Johnny...you made it!" Chet cried out. His girlfriend looked in his direction and smiled but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Just a quick hello Chet and then goodbye I'm afraid," Johnny told him.

"Alana, this Johnny Gage...He's Roy's partner...a paramedic," Chet introduced them.

Johnny went to shake her hand but she held hers out to be kissed. Johnny wasn't into that kind of greeting so he just shook it to her dismay. Chet chuckled at his friend's lack of elegance.

"You have to excuse Johnny...he grew up on a reservation...sophistication is not in his vocabulary," Chet told his girlfriend smirking.

"Such a large word Chet...and more than one syllable" Johnny countered. "Anyway it was nice to meet you...Bye Alana...Chet," Johnny turned to leave but Joanne was standing behind him with her lips pursed and her hands on her hips. "Oh...um Hi Joanne...I was just going to look for you!" Johnny lied.

"Yeah sure you were Johnny Gage...Why aren't you staying?" she asked.

"I told Roy I have something else on so I can't stay. I just called in to say hello," he told her, wanting to desperately get away. He didn't like leaving Ellen in the Rover for too long.

"Do you have a date?" she asked.

"No just something I committed myself to before Roy asked me," he again lied. He knew she could see straight through him. "I really need to go Joanne so bye!" and he promptly kissed her on the cheek.

"Don't I get one of those?" Johnny and Joanne turned and looked at Alana. Johnny cleared his throat not sure what to say.

"Geeze Gage...you kiss every female here except my girlfriend. What's wrong with you?" Chet admonished his friend.

Johnny quickly lent forward and gave Alana a peck on the cheek but before he could straighten up she faked a stumble and fell into Johnny. He grabbed her by the arms to stop her from falling and before he could straighten her up she whispered in his ear "Call me."

Johnny blushed and stepped back wondering if he just heard what he thought he heard. When he looked at Alana she gave him a flirting smile. _'Yep she just made a pass at me'_ he thought. Chet quickly grabbed Johnny's hands "Get your hands off my girlfriend!" Chet told his friend angrily.

Johnny stepped away embarrassingly and walked quickly towards the gate to leave. He didn't need this aggravation and the last thing he wanted was to be the cause of upsetting Chet and his girlfriend. "Good riddance Gage!" Chet called out and Johnny frowned. _'Women' _he thought.

When he reached the Rover, Mike and Barb were talking to Ellen who had got out and was standing with the couple. Johnny looked at Mike who instantly excused himself from the ladies.

"What's wrong?" he asked noticing Johnny's distress.

"Chet's girlfriend just made a pass at me and Chet got mad cause he thought I was doing ...I don't know what he thought...cause all I did was stop her from falling," Johnny wasn't making a lot of sense but Mike could see he was really upset.

"Tell me slowly what happened?" Mike asked his friend.

Johnny swallowed and took a deep breath. "I said hello to everyone and when I said goodbye to Joanne I kissed her on the cheek. Alana said don't I get one of those and Chet more or less told me that I was being rude for not doing the same with Alana...so...I went to just peck her on the cheek and she started to fall. I grabbed her arms to stop her progress and that's when she whispered in my ear, call me. Before I could let go Chet pulled my hands away and yelled at me to let go of his girlfriend and just before I left he yelled good riddance," Johnny said, disturbed about the whole affair.

Mike sighed not sure what to say. "Hopefully he'll cool off and just forget about it," Mike told his friend.

"Are you kidding...this is Chet we're talking about...I won't hear the end of it next shift!" Johnny said and looked up into the sun for answers. "I wish I never came!" he said despondently. "We better go, otherwise we'll be late," Johnny told Mike and said his goodbyes to his friends and drove off.

"Will Johnny be ok?" Barb asked her husband.

"Chet can be a real pain in the arse sometimes and he loves aggravating Johnny for some twisted reason," Mike told her.

"Here are you guys!" Roy called to his friends. "I thought you guys had left without saying goodbye for some reason," Roy told them.

"No we were just saying goodbye to Johnny and E..." Mike stopped himself and coughed. "Um, Johnny and his friend he was aarh, dropping off somewhere," Mike said trying to cover his mistake.

Roy looked at him suspiciously but Mike and his wife were already heading back to the house and Roy knew Mike had said all that he was going to say. It seemed to Roy that Mike knew more that was going on with his partner than he did and somehow didn't like that; after all he was Johnny's best friend not Mike.

When they all returned to the backyard Chet was scowling and telling whoever would listen how John Gage had groped his girlfriend. In the end Mike spoke up, he had heard enough "Give it a rest Kelly and Johnny didn't grope your girlfriend, he stopped her from falling, that's all".

"How would you know, you weren't even there?" Chet gave his engineer an indignant look.

"Well I was and I agree with Mike," Joanne injected. She had heard enough and the whole thing was making the barbeque uncomfortable.

"Trust Gage to not even be here and cause trouble," Chet mumbled.

Everyone sighed and started conversations ignoring Chet and his girlfriend to give them the hint to forget it and start enjoying the barbeque. It wasn't long before everyone was laughing and talking again.

Johnny tried to explain to Ellen the complicated relationship he had with Chet. She was more than a little horrified when Johnny told her about the teasing and pranks that went on at the station.

"How can you stand it?" she asked him.

"I guess I don't take it personally and when he's not taunting me he can be a really good friend," Johnny told her.

"Friends like that you don't need," she told him. "Well if he is such a good friend he won't let this come between you," she said and kissed him lightly. Johnny returned the kiss and held it, needing to feel her, taste her, to make the afternoon's upset go away. She let him kiss her longer than usual knowing he needed her.

Johnny broke the kiss and looked into her eyes and said for the first time "I love you!" He pulled back and was shocked at what he had just said. "I'm sorry it just came out," he told her not wanting to come on too strong because he really did love her.

"Don't be sorry...because Johnny Gage I think I'm falling in love with you," she told him. Tears pooled in her eyes and she looked into his eyes and saw the love in them. She smiled and kissed him again, this time with more passion. Chet and his girlfriend were forgotten and Johnny found himself lost in Ellen's arms, their love for each other healing.

Johnny knew he would be taunted unmercifully next shift but somehow it didn't matter. He would just visualise Ellen in his mind and remember their first real passionate kiss and that would help him get through the shift. Knowing he had real love made up for everything and for the first time in his life he felt happy and at peace with himself. Chet and his girlfriend could never take that away from him.


	3. Chapter 3

Johnny arrived for shift bright and early, his days off had been wonderful; the barbeque all but forgotten. He hadn't allowed himself to forget about Chet and his taunting, which was one reason why he had decided to arrive early. He wanted to beat the phantom in and not receive any surprises in his locker. He opened his locker cautiously and placed his clean uniforms in it. They were beginning a forty-eight hour shift. The thought of not seeing Ellen for forty-eight hours overwhelmed him, having never before wanted something more than to work as a fireman/paramedic. The thought took him by surprise and he smiled to himself thinking _'I'm in love'_. This was something very new to him and he liked it.

It was while he was deep in thought that Roy walked in. "Johnny!" Roy greeted his partner and proceeded to get changed.

"Roy!" Johnny took a deep breath and got on with getting changed. "Everyone have a good time at the barbeque?" Johnny asked his partner, letting him know he was interested in the get together even though he couldn't stay.

"Yes, they did." Roy's answer was short and sweet. He was still a little annoyed that Johnny didn't stay but it didn't last long because he was also thankful that Johnny had at least made the effort to call in and say hello. He really couldn't stay mad at his partner.

Sensing Roy was not as mad at him as he had been last shift he added, "I really am sorry I couldn't stay Roy...or even help you set up for that matter. I really did have something else on...I'll tell you about it one day in the near future when the timing is right." Johnny told Roy and closed his locker door and made his way to the kitchen looking for his first cup of coffee for the day.

Roy watched his partner leave and pondered over what he had just said. He sighed and he too was about to go searching for a cup of coffee but was stopped by Chet. "Gage is already here...Damn...I wanted to set up!"

"Set up what?" Roy asked not liking Chet's tone.

"The phantom wants to get his pigeon big time!" Chet said with a fiendish look in his eyes.

"Yeah well, the phantom will have to get up earlier if he wants to catch his pigeon." Roy told his friend, unimpressed by his antics.

Roy could hear voices coming from the day room and as he entered they stopped. Johnny and Mike looked up at him and Mike said "Hello Roy."

"Hi Mike! You got home ok?" Roy asked his shift friend, out of courtesy.

"No problem Roy and thanks. Barb and I had a good time." He smiled at Roy and glanced at Johnny feeling a little uncomfortable talking about the barbeque in front of Johnny.

"You guys certainly had a nice day for it." Johnny said cheerfully trying to put Mike at ease. Johnny looked at Roy hoping he picked up on Mike's uncertainty.

"Well Junior next time I'll make sure I give you more notice." He told his partner reading his thoughts.

Mike smiled to himself, he was glad the partners were at ease with each other. Marco walked in and said hello to everyone, he was smirking to himself. Roy picked up on it and knew only one person could plant that smirk there, Chet. "So what is Chet up to Marco?" Roy asked, putting him on the spot. Marco just shook his head not wanting to get involved. "Come on Marco, only Chet can make you grin like that."

"You have a suspicious mind Roy." Marco said joking with his friend.

Johnny watched the interplay; he smiled to himself and accepted the fact that he would be the target of one of Chet's pranks. Marco was obviously already privy to Chet's intentions and Roy was obviously warning him in a roundabout way. He got up from the table and poured himself another cup of coffee. Roy joined him and held out his cup for him to top up. "Thanks!" Johnny said appreciatively to his partner.

"Well, well, well if it isn't the groper!" Chet exclaimed maliciously. Johnny froze, but it was Roy who came to his defence.

"Chet! I'm just going to say this once. We had this out at the barbeque and Joanne told us all that it wasn't like that...so drop it!"

"Or what Roy?"

"Kelly!...I don't want to hear another word about this during shift. Stop calling John names and take it up with him outside of shift. I won't have petty arguments going on in this station. Do I make myself clear?" Cap looked at Chet and Johnny for confirmation.

Johnny answered straight away "Yes Cap!"Cap looked at Kelly waiting for his acknowledgement.

He reluctantly replied "Yes Cap."

Johnny could feel the flush in his cheeks. He didn't know that Chet thought he had groped his girlfriend. _'How could he think that?' _he thought. All he had done was grab her arms to stop her from falling. He swallowed hard and said to Roy, "I'm going to do the morning checks." Roy could see the embarrassment in his partner's eyes and glared at Chet for being so immature. Cap looked on and watched his paramedics leave the day room. He shook his head thinking that he was leading a bunch of school kids rather than fire fighters.

It wasn't till late in the afternoon that Johnny found himself alone with Chet. Roy was filling out the log book and Marco and Mike were hanging hose. Johnny got up and was going to help Mike and Marco when Chet grabbed his arm. Johnny stopped and looked at Chet's hand that had hold of his arm.

"Everyone might believe Joanne but I know better. You keep your hands off my girlfriend!" Chet was serious and Johnny sighed in resignation; a woman was coming between their friendship.

"Chet, I could say the same thing about you only it would be...Keep your hands off me!" Johnny told his friend looking at Chet's hand that was holding his arm. "Does that mean you're groping me?...Because that's all I was doing with Alana is holding her arms Chet." Chet let go of Johnny and sighed. He looked at Johnny and suddenly realised how unreasonable he had been acting towards his friend. Johnny left and headed towards the hose tower to help Marco and Mike. He was hurt to think Chet thought so little of him. To help him cope with the rest of the first day of their shift he thought about Ellen and found himself smiling both inside and out. Mike looked over at Johnny and watched the smile creep across his friend's face. He knew he was thinking about Ellen and that Johnny Gage was smitten. He couldn't wait to tell his wife.

Roy woke during the night and turned over facing his partner's bunk. He was surprised to see it empty. He looked down at the floor and saw that Johnny's boots and turnout pants were gone. He waited for a while and decided to get up and look for his wayward partner. He found Johnny sitting in the day room drinking some hot chocolate.

"Any left in the pot?" Roy asked.

"Probably, half a cup." Johnny told his partner.

"Can't sleep?"

"No. Too much on my mind." Johnny simply stated. He was having trouble sleeping because he couldn't get Ellen off his mind. Roy sat down and Chet walked in. Johnny frowned; he didn't want to start arguing with Chet.

"Is there any hot chocolate left?" Chet asked.

"No! I took the last of it." Roy told him.

"Man...I wish Alana was here...she makes the best hot chocolate." He said as he licked his lips.

"Call her and get the recipe." Johnny suggested.

"She also likes to sleep John!" Chet replied.

Johnny shook his shoulders and looked at Roy who was grinning. Johnny smiled at his partner.

"You know Chet...I don't think she'd mind if she thought she was helping you sleep." Roy challenged his friend. He winked at his partner.

"Roy! Do you think Joanne would appreciate you calling her at 1am in the morning?"

"If it was to help me sleep...no I don't think she'd mind...besides she reads till this time sometimes."

Chet contemplated Roy's statement. "Chet if you think your relationship wouldn't cope with a late phone call..." Before Johnny could finish his statement Chet was at the phone calling Alana. An annoyed male voice answered the phone.

"Aahh sorry...must have the wrong number." There was a click at the other end before Chet could say anything more. He looked at Johnny and Roy and shrugged his shoulders. He dialled the number again, this time being more careful. The call was answered before the first ring was completed.

_'Hello!' _Alana sounded flustered to Chet.

"It's Chet...Did I wake you?" A silly grin broke out on his face from hearing her voice. "I need the recipe for your hot chocolate." He told her.

'_Chet! It's one o'clock in the morning!'_

"Please..." Johnny and Roy shook their heads and got up to leave. "You're not the only one I woke up. When I tried calling you the first time this man answered and was he mad...he hung up on me." Johnny and Roy left the day room not wanting to listen to Chet any longer. Johnny thought about what Chet just said and wondered. He desperately hoped he was wrong but somehow, after what she said to him at the barbeque he suspected he wasn't.


	4. Chapter 4

Johnny couldn't stand it any longer; he had to talk to someone about what he suspected. Chet could really be a pain but he was still a friend and Johnny was worried. He waited till he and Roy were alone and asked his partner, "Roy, about last night, do you think that Chet might not have dialled the wrong number the first time?"

Roy sighed and looked at his partner. "I have to admit I thought the same thing Johnny. She does seem too good to be true, for someone like Chet. One thing's for sure..."

"What's that Roy?" Johnny asked.

"We can't say anything to Chet...unfortunately he'll have to find out for himself. We'll just have to make sure that we're there for him when he does."

"If he does!" Johnny added. He didn't like getting involved when it came to relationships; not being that experienced with long term relationships himself. Roy was the expert here so he would listen to him and follow his advice. Since they were on the subject of relationships Johnny decided to take the plunge. Ellen had agreed with him, last night over the phone to meet with his partner. "Roy there's someone I'd like you and Joanne to meet. I was wondering if perhaps you would like to go on a picnic this coming Sunday." Johnny looked at his partner hoping he would accept.

Roy considered his partner's request and was intrigued with the invite. "I'll need to check with Joanne first. Are the kids invited too?"

Johnny chewed his bottom lip having forgotten about the kids. Ellen was used to children, being a teacher, but the children she taught were blind. That was how they had met. Johnny was at the school demonstrating for the teachers CPR. Some of the teachers were blind so he had to physically guide their hands to show them how to do CPR. Ellen had helped him, and that was when he noticed her. Little did he know that it would be the beginning of a beautiful relationship? At first it was his admiration that attracted him to her but as he got to know her, he was soon attracted to her sweet and gentle ways. He felt comfortable with her and didn't need to act like the tough fireman. Ellen loved hearing his stories of rescues but in a way like no one he had ever met. She picked up more on his caring ways than his heroics and for Johnny this was a pleasant change. It wasn't long before he was dropping the over eager bragging fireman/paramedic persona and becoming the relaxed and easy going companion. Ellen had a way about her that made him feel so comfortable with himself that he felt like he had known her all his life. She was like no woman he had ever dated and, despite the birthmark, she was pretty.

"Johnny?" Roy had been waiting for his partner to answer. Johnny had a look on his face that he had never seen on his partner before. Roy shook his head, could it be, was his partner finally _'in love?'_

"I'm sorry Roy...What was the question?"

Oh boy he's got it bad, Roy thought. "The kids Johnny...Are they invited?" Roy asked again smiling at his partner as if he had just been let in on a secret.

"Yes Roy...of course!" Johnny told his partner suddenly feeling very exposed by the meaningful look on Roy's face.

The next shift Chet continued his bragging about his gorgeous girlfriend. Johnny tried to sound happy for his friend but couldn't budge the uneasy feeling he had about the relationship. Roy was feeling the same way but unlike Johnny didn't let it gnaw at him. Chet was a grown man and would have to learn to live with it if his girlfriend was playing around while he was on shift.

"Well it seems my friend you're not the only lucky one...I did some overtime with C shift and Terry White was bragging about dating a gorgeous girlfriend." Marco slapped his friend on the back. "Maybe you should compare notes."

"Hey! We should go on a double date!" Chet declared.

"C Shift is usually on when we're off Chet...Especially weekends." Johnny reminded his friend.

"Yeah you're right John. I'm just gonna' check the roster." Chet said and went into the Cap's office to go over A Shift and C Shift rosters.

"Can you imagine it? Two gorgeous girlfriends, competing with each other!" Marco laughed at the idea. Mike and Roy also laughed. Johnny sat there frowning, a horrible thought came to mind but he brushed it off. I definitely don't want to go there he told himself. He looked around and noticed his partner looking at him; Johnny just smiled and kept his thoughts to himself.

Chet came back into the day room, "Three weeks we'll have to wait!" Chet claimed.

"That will give you plenty of time to organise it." Marco told his friend.

"Yeah...there's no way Terry's girlfriend is more gorgeous than Alana!" Chet declared with conviction.

Roy and Mike shook their heads. They could see a lot of trouble blossoming between the two shifts. Marco smirked at the idea of two fighting women. Johnny frowned at Chet's remark noting, how gorgeous his girlfriend was, being the most important thing to Chet. He thought about himself and asked _'Was I that shallow?'_ He reminded himself how lucky he was the day Ellen entered his life.

"What are you doing on your days off?" Chet asked Johnny. Johnny knew it was Chet's way of opening a conversation to tell him all the things he'll be doing with his girlfriend. He wished he could be happy for him but he was too concerned about his friend's feelings being hurt if Alana turned out to be cheating on him.

"Just the norm'...what about you?" Johnny heard Roy moan.

"I thought you'd never ask. Nothing today because Alana needs to visit a sick friend out of town but tomorrow...we're going sailing." Chet was envisaging Alana in a swim suit, not noticing the paramedics exchanging worrying glances at each other.

Johnny thought about the sick friend out of town, that was the oldest excuse in the book. He was surprised Chet fell for it but following Roy's advice, said nothing. He noticed Roy was probably thinking the same thing as him. When Chet left, Roy sat next to Johnny on the bench.

"I don't know about you Junior but I'm ready to go!" Roy knew that Johnny was worried about Chet, but he also knew worrying wasn't going to change things.

"Yeah I'm ready to go. Which shift is taking over? We need to let them know about the backboard at Rampart."

"It's B Shift, then C Shift for 48 hours and then us."

"For 48 hours!" they said together. Both of them hated 48 hour shifts. It took them another 24 hours to get over a 48 hour shift sometimes, depending on how busy it was.

Roy and Johnny let the incoming paramedics know about the backboard. "Hey John, heard you couldn't keep your hands to yourself." One of the B Shift paramedics said innocently.

"Yeah...Where did you hear that?" Johnny asked, not impressed if Chet was spreading rumours about him.

"Aahh,...someone from C Shift...Oh Yeah! Terry White!" He said innocently not noticing how annoyed Johnny was.

"Marco!" Johnny said to Roy. Roy nodded his head.

"It has to be, since he worked the overtime with them." Roy told his partner surprised that Marco would gossip. He could see that Johnny was surprised also and then he saw the hurt in Johnny's eyes. He knew his partner took a lot of things to heart and Marco betraying him like that would have really hurt him. Roy decided to take it upon himself to speak to Marco; after all it was his barbeque. "Come on Johnny, let's go home and get some sleep. I'll speak to Marco and I'll even call Terry and set him straight."

"Thanks Roy but you don't have to do that?"

"Yes I do partner...It was my barbeque and I was the one who pressured you into calling in. Let me handle this?" Roy put his hand on his partner's shoulder. Johnny nodded appreciatively.

"We'll see you, Joanne and the kids Sunday?" Johnny asked his partner making sure they were coming.

"You bet...and it's WE is it?" Roy smiled a knowing smile at his partner.

Johnny flushed not meaning to say we, "I did say to meet someone!" He told his partner.

"Wouldn't happen to be female, this friend you want us to meet, would it?" He teased.

"You'll have to wait and see Roy." Johnny told his partner, ending the conversation by getting into his car. Roy waved goodbye to his partner, his smile leaving his face as soon as his partner was out of sight. Rumours and innuendos can get very messy around fire stations. Knowing how sensitive his partner is, he was more than a little concerned about these rumours.


	5. Chapter 5

Roy and his family walked slowly towards his partner. They could see that he had a female sitting with him but could only see her back. Roy looked at his wife smiling and shook his head. Johnny caught sight of them and waved. Roy saw his partner then place his hand on the other person's face as if reassuring her.

"Hi guys...glad you made it!" Johnny greeted them. He stood up and Ellen then stood but kept her back to them. "Roy...Joanne...kids...I'd like you to meet the love of my life Ellen!" Ellen turned around and smiled. She was used to startled faces but Roy and Joanne didn't even react. They took her hand and Joanne even gave her a hug and whispered in her ear.

"Welcome to the family!" Johnny smiled at his friends feeling like he was floating on air. Ellen smiled and knelt down to say hello to Roy's children. His daughter touched Ellen's birthmark and was satisfied that it wasn't face paint.

"It doesn't wash off?" Roy's daughter asked.

"No I was born with it." Ellen told her.

"Cool!" the kids said in unison.

Roy smiled at his kids and then looked at his partner. He could see the love in his eyes for Ellen and knew that his partner had finally found someone to love. He slapped his partner on the back approvingly. Johnny smiled shyly at his partner. "She's lovely Junior!" Johnny's heart soared and all his worries and doubts disappeared.

The picnic was enjoyed by all. Roy watched his partner and Ellen; they acted like a couple who had been together for some time. Roy suddenly realised that Ellen was the reason that Johnny didn't come to the barbeque. He also understood why he didn't bring Ellen. A thought occurred to him, "Johnny?"

"Yeah Roy!"

"Has Mike met Ellen?" Roy asked remembering Mike's comment at the barbeque.

"Yeah he has Roy. Barb is a good friend of Ellen's. It's a small world, huh? We were talking one night and Ellen mentioned that her friend's husband was a fireman. I nearly fell over when she said her friend's last name was Stoker." Johnny told his partner.

"So...It's just Cap, Marco and Chet who are left to meet Ellen." Roy surmised.

"I'm sorry about the barbeque...the timing just wasn't right. Ellen is very self conscious Roy and Chet with everything about his girlfriend...she wouldn't have coped." He told his partner sadly.

"I can see that Johnny and let's face it Ellen comes first now!" Roy told his partner. Johnny nodded appreciating his partner's understanding. "Don't worry...there'll be other barbeques just like the Cap said." He put his arm around his partner's shoulders giving him the support his partner deserved. He was even more determined to talk to Marco and clear up the mess that was brewing at the station. There was no way he wanted anything to destroy his partner's happiness.

Next shift Roy and Johnny arrived within seconds of each other. "Hey Roy!"

"Early again partner! I think someone's a good influence on you." Roy said teasingly. Johnny snorted at Roy's comment. "I guess I better get used to it."

"Sure thing Pally!" The paramedics chuckled as they entered the locker room. Johnny froze when he saw his locker. Roy almost ran into him.

"Johnny?" Roy followed his partner's gaze. Hanging from his locker was a bra. Roy frowned at the item and stepped past his partner and pulled it off his locker. He shook his head at the immaturity of Chet.

"That's about as close as you'll get to a bra John!" Chet exclaimed. Marco was laughing next to him. Chet saw Roy glaring at him. "Don't blame me Roy! I didn't put it there. C Shift left it!" Chet and Marco left the locker room laughing. Johnny was still staring at his locker.

"Don't take any notice Johnny." Roy watched his partner open his locker to put his uniforms away. Johnny quietly got dressed and closed his locker. He picked up the bra and walked through the lockers till he found Terry White's locker. He placed the bra on it and attached a note reading _'I believe this belongs to you!' _

After listening to Chet's description of his day of sailing with his girlfriend in her bikini, the shift was fairly quiet with only a few runs. Johnny was quiet during the shift and ignored Chet's taunts. Roy caught Marco alone during the second twenty four hours of their shift.

"Why did you tell Terry White of all people about Chet's accusations from the barbeque? You know how much of a big mouth he has." Roy asked Marco.

"I didn't say anything Roy. Terry told me about it...I don't think he knew I was there!" Marco told Roy.

"Then who told him, if it wasn't you?" Roy asked Marco.

"I don't know Roy...Mike?"

Roy shook his head. "Definitely not! Mike's on Johnny's side!" Roy was at a loss. "I'll have to call Terry and ask him?"

Roy didn't waste any time; he went and made the call. Terry answered his phone_ 'Hello' _

"Terry it's Roy. I'll get straight to the point. Who told you about the barbeque and the misunderstanding between Chet and Johnny?" Roy waited for an answer.

_'Why do you want to know? Can't that partner of yours take a bit of teasing?' _Terry said snidely. It was at that moment Roy heard a very familiar female voice in the background, but he couldn't put a name to it. There was suddenly silence on the other end of the phone. At first Roy thought Terry had hung up but his voice came back on the other end, _'I have to go Roy. Bye!' _Terry hung up without answering Roy's question. Roy frowned at the phone as if it was the phones fault. Something was very wrong Roy thought, but he couldn't work out what it was. He and Johnny didn't have much time to talk. They had back to back runs through to the early hours of the morning. Both were exhausted when they finally made it to their bunks.

The next morning Roy and Johnny left as soon as B Shift paramedics arrived and like a lot of forty eight hour shifts they spent the day sleeping. Ellen arrived that evening at Johnny's apartment and made him dinner. They enjoyed each other's company but made it an early night seeing both had work the next day.

The next shift Roy and Johnny were getting dressed when Chet arrived. He had a huge smile on his face. "Alana is bringing lunch today...you guys are in for a treat!" He told the paramedics.

"Looking forward to it!" Johnny told Chet not really listening to Chet as he went on to explain what she was bringing. Johnny was thinking about the meal Ellen had cooked for him last night and how they had talked about their dreams and life in general. He felt deeply satisfied sharing his intimate thoughts and feelings with her. He loved her laugh and wit, something that had only surfaced recently as she became more comfortable with him. It dawned on him what he was feeling and he looked at his partner with an excited expression on his face. He couldn't wait to get his partner alone to tell him what he just realised and was going to do about it. Johnny hadn't realised that Chet had been still talking and had asked him a question. Chet was looking at him expectantly "What?"

"I just asked you if you liked Greek food." Chet asked.

"Never had it...Wouldn't know...Roy can I talk to you?" Roy looked at Johnny and followed him into the bay area. Chet shook his head; Johnny hadn't taken any notice of him.

_'What could be more important than Alana's cooking?' _he thought.

"Roy, I was thinking about last night...Ellen came over and cooked dinner..." Chet caught 'and cooked dinner' and held back to listen in on Johnny and Roys' conversation, "I just realised that I want that for the rest of my life...Not her just cooking dinner but you know...being with me...sharing everything...I'm going to ask her to marry me!"

Chet frowned at what Johnny had just said. _"Surely he wouldn't ask some chick he's just met to marry him?" _he thought.

Roy shook Johnny's hand and Mike who had been polishing the engine smiled at Johnny and shook his hand also. Chet looked on and wondered why Mike would be so happy. He watched Johnny enter Cap's office and close the door. He knew Johnny was serious and frowned at the closed door. Johnny hadn't told him he had a girlfriend yet both Roy and Mike knew. He felt left out but then he thought about all the taunting that had taken place the last few shifts and the accusations at the barbeque. He had been bragging about a girlfriend and Johnny already had one.

Chet decided he would ask Johnny on a double date and see what he had to say for himself. The klaxons sounded and the station was called out to a structure fire.

A Shift returned to their station five hours later, tired and hungry. The men were covered in soot and stank of smoke and sweat. Alana was standing in the doorway of the day room waiting for them.

"Geeze babe...I'm sorry...We just need to grab showers and we'll be with you." Chet went to grab her but she backed away.

"Chet...You really need to shower!" Alana told him putting her hands up, signalling him to keep away.

Alana looked over Chet's shoulder and caught sight of Johnny. She liked what she saw and licked her lips. _'He looks even sexier dirty!' _she thought. "Hi guys! Lunch will be waiting for you when you're ready!" She called out. Chet stood next to her beaming. Everyone yelled out thanks and waved to her except Johnny. He ignored her and just followed everyone to the locker room. Her smile faded, she didn't like being ignored. Chet tried to sneak a look at lunch but she shooed him away.

Johnny was the last to have a shower. The station had been stood down for one hour so the showers were quick. He was dressing when he heard footsteps heading towards the locker room.

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	6. Chapter 6

"Hey Johnny! Alana and I wanted to ask you and your girlfriend on a double date." Chet asked from the locker room doorway.

"Why would you want that and how do you know I have a girlfriend Chet? You've been eavesdropping again?" Johnny asked Chet, he had no intentions of subjecting Ellen to Alana.

Chet cleared his throat, "I did overhear you talking to Roy and Mike...but how about it? We cou..."

"No Chet!" Johnny got up from the bench in front of his locker, shut his locker door and walked past Chet and headed for the kitchen. Chet followed him with an incredulous look on his face.

"But why John? We can go somewhere cheap if you want!" Chet tried to reason with Johnny but couldn't help but get in a jab at the paramedic.

"N...O...No Chet!" Johnny said with a taint of disgust. He didn't like the way Chet was hounding him over this and knew it could turn into another batch of taunting. He entered the kitchen and took in the aromas of the food. _'Not bad!' _He thought. He sat down between Roy and Mike and started spooning food onto his plate. He didn't recognise any of the dishes but he didn't care; he was hungry and right now anything looked good.

Chet entered the room; he was annoyed with Johnny for turning him down. "So John how long have you been going out with this chick?"

Johnny cringed at the way Chet referred to Ellen as a chick, somehow it sounded insulting. Roy placed his hand on his partner's arm knowing Johnny could easily lose it with Chet. The gesture calmed Johnny and he took a calming breath, "None of your business Chet so drop it. I'm not discussing it with you. What are these?" Johnny held up with his fork small rolls covered in what looked like leaves to Johnny.

"Dolmadakia" answered the female voice of Alana. She was annoyed to hear that the good looking paramedic had a girlfriend. "Chet, I have to go. Bye fellas!"

Cap stood and thanked her on behalf of the shift and Chet walked her out to her car. He came back into the kitchen. "You've got some hide Johnny...eating this food...and then acting like we're not good enough to double date with!" Chet told the paramedic with a wounded voice. In all honesty he really didn't care, having noticed the way Alana looked at Johnny.

"You don't need to double date with me Chet...Aren't you going on a double date with Terry White from C Shift?" Johnny asked, hoping Chet got the message to drop it about a double date with him.

"Nah! He already had something on." Chet told Johnny and with that piece of information Johnny's suspicions were confirmed. He felt for his friend being used like he was but Chet would have to find out for himself and as Roy had said, they would have to be there for their friend when his relationship with Alana fell apart. Johnny glanced at Roy, then Mike, and knew that they too had the same suspicions confirmed. They all ate the food in silence. Johnny suspected that everyone but Chet was thinking the same thing about Alana. He was glad that he had avoided contact with her.

Chet looked around at his friends and wondered why everyone was silent. It was as if they were all in on something and he hated being left out. Their hour was up, the station back in commission and back to the daily chores of the fire house. Everyone thanked Chet and went about their chores. The shift ended with only a few runs, nothing too serious. Johnny couldn't wait to see Ellen and pop the question.

Johnny approached his apartment and found a note attached to his door. _Meet me at Seymor Park. XX_ Johnny assumed it was Ellen but found it odd that she would leave a note. She was supposed to meet him at his apartment. Johnny sighed and went inside to quickly have a shower and get changed. He left his apartment a bit dressed up for a park but he wanted to look his best when he popped the question. He parked his car and looked around. Ellen's car was nowhere to be seen and he frowned. He heard footsteps behind him and quickly spun around.

"Your name John Gage?" A tall light haired man in his early twenties asked. Johnny was feeling very crowded as another man who looked very similar to the one that spoke, only younger, stepped around behind him.

"Yes." Johnny answered tentatively, growing concerned with the way the men stepped into his personal space.

"We've got a message from a friend of ours!" The first man said with a sneer.

"Yeah! A message!" The second younger man said as he pounded his fist into his hand.

Johnny felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck. "I don't know you and I have plans." He tried to step past the two men but suddenly felt searing pain on the left side of his head. His knees buckled as a stabbing pain radiated from the back of his thigh. As he fell, his forehead hit the side vision mirror of his car. He heard shouting but it sounded a long way away, as if down a long tunnel.

Roy was sitting out on his deck relaxing with his wife. He had just finished cutting the grass of his backyard. The phone rang and he groaned at the interruption.

"Hello."

_'Roy, its Dixie. You need to come down to Rampart. They just brought Johnny in.' _Dixie sounded extremely agitated over the phone.

"What...How...What do you mean they brought Johnny in? He's not working...Dixie...What's going on?" Roy was confused. Johnny had gone home and as far as he knew was going to meet Ellen and ask her to marry him.

_'He was found in a parking lot unconscious next to his car Roy. He's been assaulted and...It's bad Roy...He has a fractured skull."_

"I'll be right there." Roy hung up the phone and ran out to the deck. "It's Johnny! He's at Rampart and he's hurt bad."

Joanne looked at her husband and saw the fear in his eyes. "Go! Call me when you know more and if...I need to come and see him." She looked at her husband and he knew what she meant. 'In case I need to say goodbye.' Roy pushed it to the back of his mind but knew that it could happen. He nodded and gathered up his wallet and keys and drove to the hospital. His mind was spinning, how could this happen now when Johnny was so happy with his life and was about to embark on a life with Ellen.

He parked his car and ran through the emergency entrance. Dixie caught sight of him and waved him towards treatment room 4. "Dr Brackett is with him..." She put her hand on his arm. "It's not good Roy." Roy nodded and felt his heart beat increase. He knew Dixie was trying to prepare him but he kept thinking this can't be happening, not now.

Dr Brackett was studying X-Rays with two other doctors. One was Dr Early but the other one he had never seen before. Dr Brackett turned around when he heard the door open. "Roy! I'm glad you're here." He looked very concerned and the twitch in his mouth alerted Roy to the seriousness of the situation.

Roy looked at his partner who was lying very still on the bed. The left side of his head was swollen and his left eye was swollen shut. His right hand was in a splint and his left thigh was wrapped in bandages. Johnny's right eye was half open. Roy bent over the bed and looked into his eye and whispered "Johnny can you hear me?"

Johnny's eye fluttered and the smallest of whimpers came from his lips. Roy couldn't tell if Johnny knew he was there or not. He groaned when Dr Early lifted his splinted hand. "We need to take him up to OR Roy. We need to relieve the pressure on his brain. They'll set his hand while he's up there." Dr Early's calm voice told Roy that he needed to say goodbye to his partner.

Roy looked down at his best friend and felt his eyes burning with unshed tears. "I'll be waiting for you Junior. You hold on...think about Ellen and the wonderful life you two are going to spend together." Roy could see Johnny's eye look at him but only small whimpers escaped his lips. He wasn't sure if Johnny understood him but hoped that he could see that he was there for him and that he wasn't alone. Johnny's bed was wheeled out and he felt tears escape his eyes. Dixie grabbed his arm and led him to the doctor's lounge. She gave him a cup of coffee and sat with him; her silence confirming the severity of Johnny's condition. Roy's heart was pounding and his eyes were blurred as the tears pooled in them. He looked at Dixie and saw tracks of tears running down her face.

The door opened and Lt Crockett walked in. "Roy...Ms McCall..." He had his notepad in his hand. "I believe Johnny was brought here."

"He's in surgery." Roy's voice cracked as he spoke. Lt Crockett hung his head, Roy's statement telling him that Johnny was critical.

He sat down next to Roy. "I know this isn't a good time but Roy, does Johnny know an Ellen Forest?" He read the name from his notebook.

"Yes he does, why? Is she alright? She wasn't hurt also was she?" Roy looked at Dixie for confirmation.

"No Roy. I only found out about Johnny through my enquiries. She's been reported missing Roy. Her car was found abandoned near a park." Roy put his head in his hands.

"This can't be happening...oh Johnny!" Roy stood and swayed. Lt Crockett grabbed his arm and steadied him. Roy turned his head and looked sadly at Lt Crockett. "Johnny was going to propose to Ellen today."

Lt Crockett closed his eyes, Roy's words and the way he said them would be etched in his mind for many years. "I'm sorry Roy. I didn't know. Please sit down before you fall down."

Roy sat down mechanically. Nothing seemed to be real to him. Lt Crockett left quietly knowing that Roy was beyond talking to. He needed to piece together the events of the morning which included Johnny's movements. Somehow the assault on Johnny and Ellen's disappearance were connected. He left the hospital with a sense of conviction. The two paramedics were his friends and he was determined to find out what happened and why.

Roy and Dixie sat in silence both sending silent prayers to the OR for their friend. Roy sent a prayer for Ellen. He knew that something was very wrong, with Johnny being hurt and Ellen disappearing. His heart ached for his friend because deep down he had a terrible feeling that something bad had happened to Ellen. He prayed that he was wrong.


	7. Chapter 7

It was a long time before a team of very tired doctors made an appearance in the doctor's lounge. Roy, Dixie, Mike and Captain Stanley stood in unison as the doctors walked through the door. The waiting friends mirrored the same expressions, anticipating good news but the doctor's downcast faces said it all.

"Johnny made it through surgery but he's critical." Dr Brackett told his friends sadly.

Alana stood in her kitchen, rolling out pastry. "Tell me again!" She snapped. Her two brothers shuffled their feet and chewed their lips. They wondered why their sister was angry, not understanding that they had gone too far with their delivery of her message.

Her oldest sibling spoke, "He got a bang on the head and the knife only nicked his leg. Honest Sis!" They both nodded their heads like obedient pets.

Alana sighed, "I thought I made it clear to only scare him, not damage." She had spoken to Chet and he had told her that John Gage was in surgery with a fractured skull. Her plans had fallen apart and her mindless brothers had made things worse. "Stay here out of sight. I'm meeting Chet at the hospital and I'm telling you, John Gage better live!"

"Anything to eat Sis?" The younger sibling asked.

"Food's in the fridge." Alana grabbed her purse and keys. She turned around, "What did you do with the car?"

"Left it near the park. Peter followed in our car. Nobody saw me." The younger sibling said proudly.

Alana tutted and left the house. She couldn't believe how stupid her brothers could be, leaving the car near the same park.

Johnny partially opened his right eye. Everything was blurry but he could make out the face of his partner leaning over him. He wanted to ask him what had happened but nothing but groans escaped his lips. His head felt like someone was chiselling in it. The pressure on the left side of his face was so intense he thought his head might explode. He tried to move his head but it caused such intense pain that he threw up on himself. A cool cloth was quickly rubbed over his face and he felt a towel on his shoulder cleaning away the vomit. He was embarrassed for not having any control over his functions.

Roy looked into Johnny's right eye that was half open, "We're here for you Johnny. You're going to be ok. Just rest, don't try to talk or move." Dixie quickly wiped it away the vomit while Roy ran a cool cloth over his face. Whimpers escaped Johnny's mouth and a tear ran down his cheek. Roy could see the embarrassment in Johnny's eye as the tear escaped. He leant over and whispered in his partner's ear. "It's alright Junior. Just rest."

Johnny slowly closed his eye and allowed sleep to take over. He felt a cold sensation in his left arm and knew that pain relief had been administered.

Roy watched his partner succumb to a drug induced sleep. "It's the best thing for him right now Roy. He needs to lie very still and he needs to be kept quiet while his brain heals." Dr Brackett told him as he watched the deep steady breathing of Johnny.

They left the room and joined the rest of station 51 waiting in the ICU waiting area. All eyes were on Roy as he stepped up to join them. "He was awake for a short time but he couldn't talk. He was in a lot of pain." Roy told his friends.

"He's going to be ok isn't he Roy?" Chet asked showing true concern for his friend. Alana put her arm in his, showing her support for him.

"He should recover but we have to keep an eye on him for complications. We'll know more in a couple of days. I suggest you all go home; Johnny will be asleep for at least the next twelve hours. When he wakes up it will only be for a few minutes before we sedate him again. He needs to be kept quiet and still." Dr Brackett told the group of friends.

They all nodded and headed for the stairs. Mike and Captain Stanley walked either side of Roy. They could see how upset he was and wanted to make sure he got to his car without any problems. "You sure you're ok to drive Roy?" Mike asked him.

"I'll be fine Mike...What am I going to tell Johnny if he asks about Ellen?" Roy felt helpless. Lt Crockett had told them that Ellen had disappeared without a trace. His only lead so far, was a note he found in her car, telling her to meet at the park. He had found a similar note in Johnny's apartment. It was obvious to everyone that the couple had been set up but no one knew why or where Ellen could be.

"I don't know Roy...but we have to keep hoping that she'll be found...and that she's ok." Mike told his friend, but he had his doubts. His wife was devastated when he told her that Ellen was missing.

Over the next few days Johnny made a slow recovery. He was awake for only short periods and was unable to speak. Roy could see him searching the room for someone and knew he was looking for Ellen. He felt awful when Johnny's questioning eyes looked at him. Dr Brackett had instructed him to keep the news of Ellen's disappearance from him; that Johnny couldn't take such alarming news in his current condition.

Terry White had had enough of the agitated and irrational moods of Alana. He simply told her 'It's been fun, but Goodbye, I've had enough.' He had thought it fun to play along with her dating him and Chet at the same time but now with her changes in her behaviour he no longer wanted to be a part of her games. He contemplated telling Chet the truth but decided it was up to him to find out.

Chet had noticed a change in Alana but thought it was because he was so worried about Johnny. She no longer invited him to her house and found her to be very nervous when he talked about Johnny's missing girlfriend. Chet had his own theories and would run them by whoever would listen. He blamed everything on Johnny's girlfriend and believed she had disappeared because she had arranged for Johnny to be assaulted. Roy almost came to blows with Chet, Mike having to hold him back.

"Don't talk about things you know nothing about Kelly!" Mike shouted at Chet as he held Roy back. Chet was taken aback by Roy's and Mike's reactions and stopped talking about it at the station. Instead he babbled on about his growing relationship with Alana and how supportive she was.

Alana and Chet were sitting on the couch enjoying coffee and one of her peach pies when Chet ran another theory past her. Alana was tired of listening to his theories. "Someone probably took pity on her and for all we know she's probably in some other country having plastic surgery to remove that hideous birthmark."

Chet froze and looked at Alana. "What birthmark?" Alana realised her mistake and thought quickly.

"Roy's wife mentioned something about her having a birthmark on her face...That's why you never met her...He was too embarrassed to be with her amongst his friends." She told Chet hoping that he would accept her explanation for knowing more about Ellen than she should.

Chet's mind was churning. He let it slide, for now and tried to act normally but found himself listening intently to everything Alana said for the rest of the evening. She noticed a change in Chet's behaviour and knew that she needed to do something to put him off and convince him that she was telling the truth.

"How about I bring in lunch for everyone tomorrow to help them get their minds off Johnny for a while?" Alana asked Chet.

Chet smiled and remembered when she brought lunch in last time. "That would be good babe." He told her relaxing and enjoying her company for the rest of the night.

Roy was exhausted when he turned up for shift, having spent a lot of his day off at the hospital talking to Johnny. C Shift paramedics asked about Johnny and told Roy to pass on their hellos and that they're thinking about him. Roy nodded mechanically and sat down to get changed. He heard another conversation in the bay area.

"I'm just warning you...she's playing you Chet...I should know...I was going out with her at the same time. She's crazy!"

Roy straightened up and processed the words and put a face to the voice. He frowned, they had been right. Alana had been dating Terry as well as Chet. He shook his head; he didn't want to deal with this right now. Worrying about Johnny and Ellen was all he could handle at the moment. Marco would have to be the consoling friend; Roy quickly changed and made his way to the day room wanting to avoid Chet at all costs.

Roy felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into Mike's concerned face. "Any news?" Roy knew Mike was referring to Ellen. He just shook his head. He had intended to call Lt Crockett later that day. Roy poured himself a cup of coffee and sighed.

"Did you hear Terry and Chet?" He asked Mike quietly.

"Yes. Bit hard not to." Mike claimed, shaking his head. "I guess you had the same suspicions?"

"Yes...So did Johnny." The mere mention of his partner's name made Roy's heart beat a little harder. Chet chose that moment to enter the day room.

"You boys are in for another treat!" Chet rubbed his hands together with a look of delight on his face. "Alana's bringing lunch to cheer everyone up." He told them.

Roy turned his back on Chet and frowned. Mike just shook his head in disgust.

Chet sat down on the couch and started to read not wanting to enter into a discussion with Roy and Mike. He could see by their reactions that they had heard Terry, but he had chosen to ignore it. So what, if she was two timing him, she was gorgeous and she could cook. He didn't care it wasn't as if he was going to marry her or anything. No he would enjoy it while it lasted. He had no idea that his relationship with this woman would be the cause of devastating heartbreak for his friends and in particular Johnny.


	8. Chapter 8

The crew of station 51 backed into their station, their noses immediately aroused to the smells of something delicious cooking in their kitchen. Chet jumped from the not quite stopped engine and ran into the kitchen to find Alana busying herself setting the table. He smiled broadly at her and received a smile back. Anyone watching would have seen that the enthusiasm was one sided.

"It smells great and we are starving!" Chet exclaimed taking exaggerated sniffs in the air. Marco entered the room behind Chet and slapped his friend on the back agreeing with him. He grabbed cold water from the refrigerator and left the room to wash up. Alana frowned at the lack of attention given to her.

"Where is everyone?" Alana asked tersely. She had expected everyone to come running into the kitchen praising her for cooking them lunch.

"They'll be along. We just got back from a pile up on the freeway. Everyone needs to wash up and some need to change." He told her and took her in his arms to kiss her but she pushed him away.

"You smell like gasoline!" Alana said to Chet and continued to set the table.

"I'll just wash up and change." Chet told her, his smile faltering slightly. This was the first time Alana had been cross with him and she had never refused a kiss. He shrugged his shoulders and walked quickly to the locker room.

All the crew were either changing or washing up in the bathroom. Chet looked around and cheerily said, "Lunch is ready!" Everyone looked his way and nodded. "I can see Alana and I are not appreciated. Just make sure you thank her. She didn't have to do this you know?"

Roy looked up. "So why is she?" Roy asked Chet.

Chet sighed and frowned at the senior paramedic. "Because she's a nice person Roy...and she knows we're all worried about Johnny." Chet glared at Roy but the paramedic stood firm.

"Just seems strange to me Chet...One minute she's accusing Johnny of groping her...Next minute she's all concerned about him. She doesn't even know him." Roy continued to button up his shirt. Talking about Johnny in the same sentence as mentioning Alana irked him.

Cap stepped into the conversation to divert an argument. "Look we're tired and very worried about John so let's all calm down and just enjoy lunch. Roy how about you give the hospital a call and see how John's doing Pal?"

"Ok Cap...I'm sorry I was so..." Roy couldn't think of the word to describe his feelings. He felt like an emotional wreck with worrying about Johnny and the missing Ellen.

"Aggressive is a good word Roy."

"KELLY! Can it!" Mike yelled surprising everyone but Roy. He knew that Mike was extremely worried about Ellen's welfare as well as Johnny's health. His wife had spent a few hours sitting with Johnny trying to keep a connection to her friend Ellen.

Chet walked grumpily into the bathroom and washed his face and hands while the rest of the crew made their way to the kitchen. Roy went into Cap's office and called Rampart.

When Roy entered the kitchen everyone was seated and eating. They all looked up except Chet and Roy pursed his lips at him. "He's improved a little but he's in a lot of pain still. Brackett's going to start cutting back on the sedatives and allow him to awake naturally."

Lt Crockett entered the room just as Roy made the announcement. He put his hand on Roy's shoulder. "Keep thinking good thoughts Roy. He'll pull through."

"When he's awake he's looking for Ellen." Roy told the Lieutenant sadly. "What am I going to say when he can talk and he asks me about Ellen?"

Lt Crockett sighed and bowed his head. "We have a few leads Roy...Some witnesses but I can't say anything just yet...it's very early in our investigations...we have to check a few things out."

"Would you like to join us for lunch? Chet's girlfriend cooked it!" Roy smiled at the police officer with understanding.

Lt Crockett looked in the direction of Chet and eyed the female sitting next to him. The detective in him noticed the nervous body language of the quite stunning female. He couldn't visualise them as being a couple and chastised himself for being so judgemental.

"I think I might take you up on that offer. Mmmmm...Smells good." Lt Crockett said as he deliberately sat next to Alana. "You cooked all this?" He asked Alana hoping to come across friendly and maybe put her at ease.

Chet answered for her. "This is the second time she's cooked for us. Try this?" Chet handed the Lieutenant a dish.

"How long have you two been going out?" He asked Chet casually.

"A few weeks...Not just a pretty face...Alana's a great cook." Chet said as he put another spoonful of food into his mouth.

"This is wonderful...I should get the recipe off you for my wife." He noticed Alana just smiled and tried to act like she was very casual. The Lieutenant could see that she did not want to converse with him. That just made him more determined to find out more about this woman. Why he wanted to know more he couldn't tell you but somehow he had a gut feeling that she was not the sweet innocent that she was trying to convey.

"Where are you from Alana?" He asked her and watched her think over her answer.

"I live in Carson." Alana simply answered.

"How did you become such a great cook? Your mama teach you?"

Alana looked startled by the question but quickly recovered. "Yes...She was a good cook too."

"Where did you grow up? This tastes foreign to me." Lt Crockett asked trying to justify the questions.

"It's Greek!" Chet announced.

"Oh...I've never tried Greek food before. Were your parents Greek?" He asked.

"Yes!" Alana answered abruptly. She was getting annoyed with all the questions.

"Where did you grow up?" Lt Crockett asked knowing he was pushing it with all the questions. He was amazed that the men, besides Chet, remained silent during the conversation.

"St Louis. I have to go. Enjoy your lunch boys." Alana rose from her chair and started to leave without even saying goodbye to Chet. He quickly jumped up and followed her out of the kitchen.

"She's a strange one." Roy said to no one in particular. The Lieutenant tucked the information away to investigate further later on.

The group of men sat in silence and finished their meal. Roy took the Lieutenant over to Johnny's locker for him to search. He carefully thumbed through any notes he had in his drawer and asked Roy if he could identify the writing on the notes. Roy was able to identify all but two and they were signed by Ellen.

"I'd like to take one of these to compare it to the note left for Johnny in his apartment." Lt Crockett told Roy. "I'll bring it back Roy." He told the paramedic seeing the indecision.

"Ok Lieutenant...If it will help." Roy said with a deep sadness.

"I'll find who did this and hopefully find Ellen." He told Roy with conviction. He could see that Roy was troubled about the whole ordeal, not understanding how or why this had happened.

"I hope so...I just don't know what I'm going to tell Johnny when he starts asking for Ellen." Roy's eyes were clouding; he blinked quickly to stop tears from escaping. Lt Crockett squeezed his shoulder and left.

"Thanks for lunch Roy...It was very enlightening." He waved and left the station.

Roy froze at his words and for the first time included Alana in his thoughts. _'No!'_ he thought, _'Surely not.'_ He slowly walked towards the dorm and sat down on his bunk. He dozed off thinking about his best friend.

Johnny could hear voices but his mind couldn't understand what they were saying. He tried to open his eyes but it all became just too hard and too much effort. His head hurt, like someone was pounding from the inside out. He tried to turn his head towards the voices but the slight movement caused such excruciating pain that he tried to scream out but only whimpers escaped his lips. He felt a hot breath next to his ear and a female voice talked softly to him. He couldn't understand what she was saying but her voice helped him calm down. _'Ellen!'_ he said in his head as tears escaped from the corners of his eyes.

Dixie wiped Johnny's face with a cool cloth. She saw the tears and it broke her heart to see this young man in so much pain. The whimpers that escaped his lips drew out the motherly instincts in her. She spoke softly into his ear reassuring him that he was safe and that they were giving him something for the pain. Johnny never opened his eyes and drifted back to sleep oblivious to the happenings around him.

"He just needs time Dix...This is going to be a tough recovery for Johnny. He'll need a lot of help." Dr Brackett looked down at the young paramedic with concern.

"He has a lot of friends Kel...They'll help him." She told him, including herself in the 'friends'.

"Does he have any family that can help?" Dr Brackett asked as he thought back and realised that he had never heard Johnny mention family.

"Not that I know of." Dix told Dr Brackett. They both looked down at the sleeping man and wondered about the enigma John Gage.

Alana arrived home to find her brothers sprawled over her living room furniture watching cartoons. Popcorn was scattered over her rug and furniture. She was in no mood for her brother's stupidity; the Lieutenant had shaken her with his questions.

"Nosey cop!" Alana stated as she slammed the door.

"Sis! Have some popcorn...You want to watch some cartoons with us?" Peter called out to her not noticing her bad mood.

"NO! Look at this mess!" Alana screamed at her brothers.

"Ahh sis...we'll clean it up...Don't worry...Come have some popcorn."

"I don't want popcorn!" Alana said through clenched teeth. She stormed down the hallway to her bedroom. She needed to think. She thought about what Roy had said about John Gage. Her stupid brothers she thought. There was no way soon that she could spend time with the handsome fire-fighter. Maybe she could confuse him and make him think that he was her lover, but what about Chet she thought? He was beginning to irritate her with his insistent theories. He would have been the one if she hadn't laid eyes on John Gage and the way he looked in uniform. "Damn my brothers!" She cursed out loud, they had ruined everything, but he was still alive she thought so she would still have her chance. John Gage will be hers and with that thought she undressed and showered planning her next move.


	9. Chapter 9

It was like he was moving through a fog, trying to find a path that would lead him to his friends. He could hear them but couldn't determine what they were saying or where they were. He finally came to the conclusion that he would have to force his eyes to open. As hard as that task seemed he was resolute in achieving it so he drew all his strength to opening his eyes.

Roy stood next to his partner's bed and talked softly to him encouraging him to wake up and open his eyes. He saw Johnny's eyes move under his tightly closed eyelids and offered more words of encouragement. Finally his efforts were rewarded when two brown eyes opened and remained opened rather than drooping closed like previous times.

"Hey there Johnny...it's good to see you with your eyes open Junior." Roy smiled at his partner hoping that his voice didn't give away how worried he was.

Johnny looked up at his smiling partner and tried to understand what he was saying. His mind was still foggy and the words seemed muffled and echoed in his ears. He looked past Roy expecting to see Ellen since he remembered hearing her earlier whispering in his ear; at least he thought he heard her.

"Roy?" Johnny croaked out. The effort it took to say his partners name was enormous. Johnny's lips felt dry and his tongue felt swollen. He tried to swallow but his mouth was so dry it hurt. A whimper escaped his mouth as the action of swallowing when completed sent sharp pains down his neck. Johnny tried to look around for Ellen by moving his eyes but his limited vision stopped him from seeing more than a little past his partner.

Roy lent in and completely blocked his partner's vision. "Johnny you've been unconscious for some time. You have a fractured skull. That's why your head hurts so much. Stay still and quiet and you'll be ok. I promise Junior." All the time Roy spoke to his partner he prayed that he didn't ask for Ellen.

Roy stepped aside and Dixie lent in. "How are you doing Johnny? Are you in pain?" She saw Johnny's eyes fill with tears as she spoke. Not wanting to upset him she grabbed Roy and pulled him into Johnny's line of vision.

As soon as Dixie spoke Johnny realised that she was the voice he had heard earlier, not Ellen's. His eyes started burning and he felt the tears start to form. He had no strength to stop them from falling. He wanted to ask for Ellen but only his lips moved. Speaking became impossible as his mouth felt like it was stuck closed; his tongue not allowing any movement.

"Hey what's this? It's alright Johnny...You're going to be ok...It's just going to take a while before you can talk but I'll be here for you Johnny and so will Dixie...Mike and Barbara and the rest of the guys. You just take it slow and easy...everything is going to be alright." Roy could see the pleading in Johnny's eyes but he tried to smile and look happy whereas inside he was crying for his partner. Johnny wanted Ellen and he couldn't tell him that Ellen was missing. "Just rest Johnny."

Dr Brackett stepped forward and smiled at Johnny. He checked the bandages and flashed his pen light into Johnny's eyes. Ignoring the tears that were rolling down Johnny's cheeks, "Johnny blink twice if you are in pain?"

Johnny heard Dr Brackett speak but couldn't understand why he wanted him to blink. He looked at him and moved his eyes to the side trying to see past him. _'Ellen?'_ he said in his mind. Dr Brackett watched him closely waiting for some kind of reaction.

"Johnny blink twice if you understand me?" Dr Brackett asked him.

Johnny couldn't understand why Dr Brackett wanted him to blink. Whatever else he was saying was too muffled for him to work out. He stared at him with watery eyes.

"Johnny blink twice." Dr Brackett gave the simpler command. Johnny still didn't respond.

Dr Brackett blinked his eyes twice deliberately. He repeated it and waited for Johnny to respond. Johnny slowly blinked his eyes twice and looked back at him.

Dr Brackett smiled at Johnny and kept a calm face. "Sleep Johnny." He patted Johnny's shoulder and watched him close his eyes and drift off. When he straightened up and turned around Roy looked at the Doctor anxiously.

"I'm not sure but I think he can't quite hear us. Sometimes with a brain injury the messages that tell us what we are hearing get mixed up. We just have to wait and hope that with time it clears up...but Roy we also have to be prepared...Johnny might not fully recover from this injury."

Roy walked back to his car in a daze. Mike was walking with him watching him and guiding him. They were all stunned with the news that Johnny may never be the same. They stopped at Roy's car. Roy turned and with glazed eyes he said, "How could this happen to Johnny?...He's never hurt anyone...Oh God Mike...What if Ellen's dead?" Roy wept on Mikes shoulder. Mike himself found it hard not to cry but he remained strong for his friend.

"I don't know Roy but we'll get through this and we'll get Johnny through this somehow." His words sounded hollow to him but it was all he could offer. He couldn't understand why this had happened to one of the kindest souls he had met. Johnny was always someone who helped out and even though he could be annoying sometimes, he was also a very forgiving and gentle person.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cry like a baby." Roy looked embarrassingly at Mike.

Mike smiled at his friend. "I hope you feel better. I think that's been building up for some time and don't worry. This shoulder has been cried on pretty much every night by my wife." Mike told his friend sadly.

"Oh Barbara must be distraught. Johnny told me that Ellen was her best friend." Roy said despairingly.

"Yes, they've known each other for many years." Mike sighed and shook his head. "This wasn't just some random act...It was deliberate Roy...But why? I keep asking myself, why?"

"Me too." Roy bowed his head and sighed also as he leaned on his car.

"I better get going. Barbara is waiting for me in the car." Mike shook Roy's hand and left.

Roy got into his car slowly and sat staring at nothing in particular. He saw Johnny's pleading eyes and felt his own eyes burning again. He blinked rapidly and wiped his sleeve over his eyes. _'No more tears. I have to be strong for Johnny.'_ Roy told himself and started up his car and drove home.

After spending the day with Chet, Alana stormed into her house and called out her brother's names. They approached her cautiously knowing that her temper could make her do anything and she could hit hard.

"You hit him so hard that he's never going to be the same. Never be able to put on that uniform. Never be able to make love to me!" Alana yelled at her brothers.

"Can't you just find someone else?" Peter asked lamely.

"I wanted him!" Alana exclaimed. A knock on the door startled her. "Hide! Quickly!" Alana turned on the TV and put it on the crime channel. There was another knock on the door.

She walked over to the door and took a deep calming breath. She opened the door cautiously and was surprised to see Lt Crockett and another detective standing on the other side of the door. Scuffles could be heard coming from the back and soon two uniformed police officers led her brothers into the living room. Alana tried to look puzzled but Lt Crockett just smiled at the lady while the other detective read her her rights.

Johnny opened his eyes and felt surprisingly a little better. The last couple of times that he had woken found him able to understand the nurses and doctors. He could talk but very slowly. He tired quickly but each time he was able to swallow water and broth. His mouth was no longer dry, his ears, although still feeling strange didn't seem to echo. He looked into the eyes of his partner. Roy smiled at him but Johnny could see that the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Hey there partner. Have a nice nap? You look better." Roy moved and Dixie leant over and smiled at him.

"I'm just going to take your vitals." Johnny was able to move his head slightly, the pain was tolerable. Dr Brackett and Lt Crockett were standing next to Roy. Everyone had smiles but they were false. Johnny's stomach was knotting and he felt his heart rate increase. Something was very wrong with this whole scene and he started to panic.

Roy stepped forward. "Calm down Johnny or we'll have to leave." Roy was secretly hoping that Johnny didn't calm down so that this meeting could be delayed.

Johnny's breathing slowed along with his heart rate. Dr Brackett nodded to Lt Crockett. He stepped forward and smiled sorrowfully. "Johnny I'm very sorry but I'm here to inform you that Ellen is dead. She was also attacked but unfortunately died from her injuries."

Johnny looked at the Lieutenant, not believing what he was saying. "No...no...no." Johnny's breathing increased and he looked desperately around the room for Ellen. His eyes locked onto Roys and instantly he knew it was true. "Ellen!" Johnny squeezed his eyes shut but the tears flowed and deep guttural sounds escaped his lips. The room suddenly shrunk and he felt like the walls were squeezing the life out of his body.

Johnny's arm reached out and Roy took hold of it and he held on to Johnny's hand till the administered diazepam took effect. Soon Johnny was blinking and eventually closed his eyes dreaming of the beautiful face of Ellen smiling at him. She blew him a kiss and said, "I love you Johnny Gage." Ellen, as if floating, backed away from him and disappeared.

"Ellen!" Johnny cried out and reached for her but she was gone. He felt a hand grab hold of his and opened his eyes. Dixie was holding his hand. She wiped the tears from his face gently. Johnny stared at her as she hummed softly to him. He felt his heart calm and he numbly listened to his friend. Over the next few days Johnny obediently took his meds and ate. He listened to Dr Brackett explain his injury and what he would need to do to recover.

"Johnny!" Roy sat down next to his partner, who had finally been moved to a normal room.

Johnny turned his head, "Why Roy? Why?"

Roy took Johnny in his arms and held his distraught partner. When Johnny was finally all cried out Roy explained the whole sordid tale.

"Ellen was enticed to Alana's house and when she refused to listen to Alana's lies Alana pushed her and she fell. She hit her head on a table and broke her neck. She didn't suffer Johnny. Her brothers were the ones who hit and stabbed you. They were supposed to just warn you off Ellen but they like many others went too far."

"Many others?"

"Yes. Alana and her brothers are wanted in three states. They are digging up her back yard as we speak. So far they have four bodies. Apart from Ellen's there all males. Uniformed males. Apparently she was going to kill Chet, after she finished with him, but when she saw you she changed her mind...I'm so sorry Johnny...You didn't deserve this and neither did Ellen."

Johnny looked at his partner, Roy's heart was breaking for him. "Why?"

"She was insane Johnny. She apparently had killed soldiers, security officers and even police officers. Seven men and Ellen. Ellen was an accident according to Alana; she never meant to kill her. Lt Crockett matched the brother's finger prints on Ellen's car and after a sighting of her car near Alana's and some digging into her past, he put it all together."

Roy watched his partner sleep. Dixie entered the room and joined him. They both sat silently watching Johnny's chest rise and fall, a feeling of protection enveloping both people.

Four months later Johnny stood in front of his beloved Ellen's grave. Her smiling face floated in front of his. He could smell her lavender fragrance and a soft breeze caressed his face. "I miss you and I love you so much it hurts to breathe." He sighed and bowed his head. "Good bye my Ellen." A single tear rolled down his face as Johnny dropped to his knees. He was joined by two people. Roy knelt down one side and Dixie knelt down the other side. They placed their arms over his shoulders giving him the support that the grieving Johnny needed. A breeze suddenly swirled around them and warmed their hearts, Johnny would feel that breeze many times when visiting the grave over the years and would always leave feeling connected with his beautiful Ellen.


End file.
